Smyrna times., 1887-04-27
RED MEN AND MEDICINE.
THE BUSINESS OF SENDING OUT IN
pIANs TO ADVERTISE NoSTRUMS.

DAMS TO ADVERTISE NoSTRUMs.
Turning out Indian Remedies by the
Hogshead-How the Travelling Medi-
cine Companies Are Gotten Up-The
Source of Supply.
In country towns the fences, sheds and
barn doors will bloom in the spring with
Qaudy thirty-two sheet posters, represent
ing the KickapOO Indians preparing over
camp fires their wonderful herb medicines
nat cure all ills, and travelling troupes Of
.akirs viii pitch their tents on the greens,
give free Wild West shows, lure the ailing
cOuntrymen and thus get them within
the reach of the gifted lecturer who ex-
pounds the merits of the nOStrums. Prep
arations for the patent medicine campaign
are being made in the top story of build
ing in West street, and fellows glib Of
tongue are being hired to travel as takers
with the shows. Fifty separate Kickapoo
companies are thus being fitted out, each
to consist of six genuine Indians, four
white performers or falSirs and one bill
poster, all under the management of
medicine lecturer. The outfit consists Of
a stage dressing room, and doctors tents,
Indian tepees boxes of fireworks, PAM
phlets. circulars and books of astounding
fiction about the wonderful medical dis
coveries of the Kickapoos, who are pic
tured in the act of boiling herbs.
REMEDIES BY TIE -HOGsHEAD.
In the loft of the big building a labora-
tory is running full blast, burning out
KickapoO remedies by the hogshead, but
as the noble KickapOO of the thirty-two
sheet poster cannot stand New York
climate in the winter his services are dis
pensed with, and the plain ordinary
white men are boiling the herbs by steam.
In one corner of the loft cOnieal canvas
tents are stretched by ropes from the
rafters, and a man walks about with pot
of paint and big brush decorating them
with rude aboriginal art. These will be
Indian tepees, warranted genuine from
KickapOOland. Hanging from the walls
are camp kettles, small water casks
painted 10y the same artist who does the
tepees, highly colOred posters, govern
ment blankets Of various hues, tOma-
hawks, head dress, scalping knives, etc,
and all around are piled boxes of bottled
medicine, prepared by the white Kicka-
pOOs in the laboratory. In the managers
offices Indian curiOs are profusely scattered
around. Relics from the field of the
Custer massacre, necklaces of grizzly
claws, PaWnee blankets, war clubs and
quivers of arrows are numerous, and the
walls are covered with cOlored plates
showing the costumes of various Indian
tribes. There are photographs, too, of
people who are or have been on the road
with KickapOo companies-young men
with long hair and wide hats, doing the
scout act rs Mountain Jims, Colorado
Charleys or Handsome Harrys; smooth
shaven gentlemen, wearing tall hats in
one picture and burnt cork and flip flap
shoes i'll another; fal1irs and min. 'rels Of
all kinds.
A small man sits at a desk and receives
applications from lecturers, bar.0llcvers,
sleight of hand men and tumblcl.. We
want men who know how TO t end
manage a show" he says. Cur l,t.ur-
ers and doctors need not have G;l ..IsGs.
They don't practice mcGicmc, , ut last
talk up Indian remedies to the crow IS If
cOuntryman comes in and says Lo Is all
ing, the doctor sells him 4 hottie Cf Lit
ters, or liniment, or box of s,.llc. ard
tells him that is what he necGs. ANY
man who has had experience in lccturing
fer shows viii do He can listen 10 one
Of orr men a few times and I!cl, I'D all
there is necessary. We pay from S15 to
so Il week and travelling expenses. hut no
rc"rd In the summer, when we camp
ont, the white people can club together
and live very cheaply.
THE SOURCE OF SUPPLY.
''The Indians have nothing todo but
sing and dance, and that is fun for them.
lest Of the time they lie around and
smoke, and they enjoy lOafing. Where
0o we get our KickapOOs? Well most Of
them are Pawnees from the reservation.
although we have a few Sioux We get
permission from the interior department
to hire them, and the agent at the reser-
.Yation sends them to US. We are resDon-
slble for them, and must send them lack
whenever they want to go home, 1t gives
them chance to see civilized life, and it
IS not very difficult to get them. Once in
a While Pawnee gets home sick. and
doesn't want to travel as a Kickapoo with
me show, and then we have to pay his
rare back and lose money on him, but
generally they stay with us.
The business is q good one. because
most people, country people particularly,
have q notion that Indians must know the
secrets Of nature, and can cure ANYTHING
with herbs, and they will buv indian
medicines for that reason. we send
out Indians because they will always
draw crowds. The performers give a free
show to keep the crowds. and then the
lecturers talk medicine to them" "
The least important qualification of
a kickapoO Indian doctor evidently is
a knowledge Of medicine. All he needs is
cheek, loquacity and some acquaintance
with the show business. If he has culti-
waited long hair, and wears a sombrero.
ms education is complete. Between
Buffalo Bill and the patent medicine men
the Indian problem seems likely to he
solved without expense to the government.
II good for nothing else, the noble saygpe
Is first rate advertisement, and it makes
no difference to him whether he is billed
as cheyenne to bury the property hatchet
OF as kickapOo boiling weeds. So long
as he IS not asked to work it is all the
same to him.-New York Sun.